Politics

ZAGREB, 6 April 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković visited Sisak-Moslavina County on Wednesday and met with County Prefect Ivan Celjak for talks on county and government projects concerning the post-earthquake reconstruction of the region. He visited two building sites on the 11-km-long Lekenik-Sisak section of the A11 motorway. The value of the project is HRK 281.3 million, and the deadline for its completion is 24 months. Plenković expressed his satisfaction with the pace of the work, saying that it would "breathe new life" into the region and help attract investment. He said that the talks with the county leadership focused…

ZAGREB, 6 April 2022 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Wednesday that the authorities were considering relaxing anti-epidemic rules this week, and also announced the first set of healthcare reform bills for the second quarter of 2022. "There will be additional relaxation of (COVID-19) measures, possibly this week. Some of the restrictions will remain in effect in the social welfare and health sectors, because the epidemic is still here," the minister said after he formally opened a €3.5 million renovated operating block at Zagreb's Children's Hospital. However, the minister did not specify how the COVID protocols would be further eased. Package…

ZAGREB, 6 April 2022 - Split Mayor Ivica Puljak said that leaders of the party groups in the Split City Council decided at their meeting on Wednesday to hold a session of the City Council next week at which the councillors of his Centre party would tender their irrevocable resignations, adding that he expected the same from the HDZ councillors. "At that session of the City Council a decision will be made to hold district elections and the proposal is that they be held on 26 June. We will propose that on the same day early elections be held for the…

ZAGREB, 6 April 2022 - A two-day conference called Smart Cities 2022, organised by the Lider business weekly, started in Zagreb on Wednesday, with the mayors attending it being told that they should do their best to make the most of EU funds for the strategic development of their communities. "EU funds for the 2021-2027 period provide an unprecedented opportunity for Croatia, with minimally twice as much funds being available than in the previous period," said Ana Fresl, president of the Croatian Employers Association (HUP) association of EU fund professionals. She said that Croatia had €13.5 billion available from the seven-year cohesion policy,…

ZAGREB, 6 April 2022 - Croatia on Wednesday received two reasoned opinions as part of the April package of EU law infringements, which the European Commission publishes once a month. Together with Spain and Luxembourg, Croatia has been given a reasoned opinion for failing to ensure complete transposition into national legislation of the Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings. The directive introduces new elements to strengthen the existing framework, such as minimum requirements regarding the energy properties of new buildings, electromobility and charging stations, as well as new rules on heating and air conditioning system inspections. The directive is aimed…

ZAGREB, 6 April 2022 - Green-Left Bloc parliamentary deputy Sandra Benčić said on Wednesday that her group was against a government reshuffle, and that the entire government should step down due to possible affairs that could compromise new government members, an allusion to Construction Minister Ivan Paladina. "Construction Minister Ivan Paladina was appointed a month ago, and affairs regarding his ties with (the construction company) IGH have just begun to be discovered, his ties to Hidroelektra (construction company) are likely to be reported about as well," Benčić said in the parliament. "We are yet to learn how he acquired the real…

April 6, 2022 – Most of the projects that are being implemented in the city of Osijek are financed with extra-budgetary European and national money. As Lokalni.hr writes, Osijek has become a large construction site. There is no part of the city without cranes and machines everywhere. At the moment, projects worth a billion kuna are being implemented. Most of them are financed by extra-budgetary money, both European and national. An underpass is being built on Čepinska, which will solve traffic problems that are more than half a decade old. Reconstruction is underway at the Copacabana beach, which will provide…

April the 6th, 2022 - Big changes are set to come to Croatian border crossing procedures which should theoretically make some things more simple as Croatian Schengen entry looms. As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian Schengen entry will bring with it some major changes when it comes to crossing the country's border, as those Croatia has towards neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro will become the European Union's new external borders, while there will be no control at the borders between Croatia and neighbouring Slovenia and Hungary, both of which are EU member states. The new regime which is being prepared…

ZAGREB, 5 April 2022 - Science and Education Minister Radovan Fuchs said on Tuesday that over the past two years his ministry had worked on amending legal regulations, with amendments to the Higher Education and Science Act, to be put to public consultation soon, being among the most important. Addressing a conference on education, taking place in Zagreb, Fuchs said that the ministry had launched a reform of the entire system - from pre-school education to higher education. This includes changes designed to make pre-school education mandatory, introduce full-day classes in primary schools, and increase the number of children attending grammar schools.…

ZAGREB, 5 April 2022 - The office of Croatia's representative before the European Court of Human Rights said on Tuesday that by dismissing Croatia's application for a re-examination of the judgment in the case of Afghan migrant girl Madina Hussiny, the ECHR did not find that Croatia was responsible for her death. The ECHR clearly states in the judgment that Croatia breached the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms because it did not effectively investigate the death of the six-year-old, the office said, adding that if someone was responsible for her death and who will be established by national bodies while executing the judgment.…